Author Info: Website / Twitter / Facebook
Publisher: Delecorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 10, 2009
eBook: 322 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 2 days
Source: Library
Challenge: Dystopia, TBR Pile
Rating: ★★★★
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?So some of you may know that the first time I attempted to read this--about a year ago--that I didn't finish it. I couldn't get into it. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for it then. I told myself I'd try again because it had been on my TBR list for a while and I had heard a lot of great--though some were mixed--reviews about it. It was a very popular book back in 2009. It really was for a while, actually, but then just fell off the radar. Hopefully my review will bring it back up!
I borrowed this eBook from the library and it did take me a little bit to get back into this story, but I kept pushing. It was kind of annoying, but at the same time you wanted to keep reading. The writing flows well and keeps you reading. It took me a bit to get into the fact that a lot of this book is mostly descriptions and the character kind of just telling you her story. There isn't much dialogue for a while until maybe halfway through the book where it picks up. But after a while I honestly did get used to it.
The zombies in this book are scary. They are also called "The Unconsecrated" instead of zombies. They are terrifying, just like a good zombie is supposed to be. The people in this book has grown up with zombies all around them. It's their everyday life to go about their day with zombies all around them, just over the fence line. There are "guardians" standing watch near the gates, ready to signal the horn when there is a breach and everyone has to run to the nearest platform to get high up into the trees to safety.
This is way into the future, after "The Return" where the disease has wiped off most of the planet and there are villages. There are also seasons where teen women are supposed to be "called" on and the next season they are to be married. You have very little options if you aren't called for, which the main character, Mary, isn't in the beginning and she has to go stay with "The Sisterhood". The Sisterhood is basically a church full of nuns that runs the whole village. Everyone thinks that The Sisterhood knows everything and that everyone should abide by their rules.
I liked Mary. I loved that she was a dreamer, she knew deep down that there was something more out there and she was determined to get it. But that was also something I hated about her. She let her dreaming go so far to make her selfish. She wished so much for the guy she loved to love her back and to be with him, and she wished for so many other things, and when she finally did get them they weren't enough for her! She jeopardized everything that she had hoped for for something that may or may not be real. That bugged me to no end and completely broke my heart.
I liked most of the other characters as well, though most of them had something about them that really did annoy me. I didn't like her brother Jed at first, I wanted to scream at him, and then Cass as well. I really liked Cass in the beginning, but toward the end when she started changing I really didn't . Though I couldn't blame her for wanting to go back to the safety of things she had always known. I really liked Travis. He was my favorite character. And Harry was okay, though I like him better with Cass. =D
Overall, this was a great story. It completely destroyed my heart, but it was great and I can't wait to read the next book. If you love bad zombies and want a serious and suspenseful book to read, read this! The suspense definitely makes your heart race. This is not a zombie book to miss!
The second book in this series is called The Dead-Tossed Waves. It was released on March 9, 2010.
